Key case for retractable keys



Oct. 13, 1959 G. D. PRESTON KEY CASE FOR RETRACTABLE KEYS vFiled Sept. 20, 1957 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O This invention-is a1key case forhousing a series of;keys.

The principal object of the invention is totprovidean attractive `and ,ornarnentalfkey'4 case in, Iwhich 4o11eor more keys are housed and inwhicha'partieular keymay be projected out of the ,case to.an operating position and thereafter moved backw-ardly,- into .the` key case.y

The several keys `are individually operated, andthe user will soon learnftheiidentity, and zlocation of apar.- ticular key,- such asl his 'house' key orgoffice key .ori` car key, so that he mayproject ythat -keyeoutwardlyofsthe casing to operative position quickly and expeditiously.

After iusefthekey isnretractedintothescasing so that it does not wear out thefpocket ornpocketbook of the owner.` a.

More particularly, the key caseof, this inventioncomprisesa series of plungers mounted to reciprocatefin suitable guide means within the housing or case. Each plunger carries one key. When a particular key is de-A sired, the plunger is moved out of the casing and the entire casing is turned to operate the key. The plunger carrying the key preferably has one or more flattened faces cooperating with flattened portions in their respective guides, so that while the plungers can move longitudinally with respect to the guides, they are firmly held against rotation within the guides thereby restricting rotation when the key case is rotated.

Respective plungers have cooperating springs associated with them land are operated in a manner similar to the operation of ballpoint pens. Preferably, the plungers of this invention are moved in one direction by a spring and moved manually in the other direction to their respective positions.

In the preferred form, a spring cooperateswith each plunger and a particular plunger is projected manually outwardly of the casing. In order to latch the plunger in projected position `and to hold the key in operative position, each plunger is provided with a spring latch which snaps outwardly through an aperture in the casing to hold the plunger in projected position. After the lock has been operated, this latch is pressed inwardly to release it, whereupon the spring moves the plunger back into the casing.

The invention will be described in more detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating one way of carrying out the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is `a perspective view of the key case of the present invention showing the topv portion thereof.

Fig, 2 is a perspective view showing the bottom portion thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the key case.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3, showing one of the key carrying plungers and associated parts; and

Fig. 6 -is a perspective view showing key case in use.

Referring now to these drawings, the key case comj 2,908,l55 Patented-Och 13, 1959 rounded ends'lfor a better ornamental appearance.

Positioned. transversely in the housing is, a lowerguide or rack member .4.secured asnby rivets 6 `in the housing. Thisr-guide'ortrack member 4is provided with a series ofpertures 8;-

The upper part of the housing is provided with a xed, transversely extending guide orV rack member 10 positioned paralleltomernber 4 and. spaced therefrom, as shown-in Guideorsrack memberl() is provide'dwith al series of threaded ;thimbles 12,.the topsl ofswhich are provided with.-apertures 14 :of about the same size asi apertures 8 in:th'eflower guideand inline therewith.k The thimbles 12;'are. secured inplace and4 secured against turning by set screws 16.

'Ihedescribed apertures 8 'and 14 `are non-circular and arepreferably polygonal, preferably square.

Mountedto movelongitudinally in eachpair of guide members y4.-.andf12 is a `key carrying plunger .-18 which is.y noncircular andV of. thefsame. polygonal shape as apertures Siand 14,5.preferably-square. This provides in effect a splined effect,wherein -the plungers move longitudinally through their guides, but must rotate therewith. y Y

Af compressionL-spring-Z). surrounds each plunger 18, one end-bearing against member- 4while the other end bears against a transverse pinl22 carried by the plunger 18.'.

Thetllower end1 'ofeach plunger 18 is slotted as at 24 toreceii/leakey 26 whichrnay bey welded inplace or secured in.-plaee. by.a:rivet `28. The side portions of the enlarged. endsnofwthe lkeys i 26 are cut off -`prior `to securing them in the plungers, so as to be only a little Wider than the plunger.

The distance from the lower guide 4 to the bottom edge of the casing is approximately equal to the length of a key, as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper ends of the respective plungers 18 project upwardly above thimbles 12, a distance about equal to the length of a key and the upper part of the housing is provided with a shield 30 of a height such that its upper edge is about level with the top of plungers 18.

Each plunger 18 is provided with a spring latch 32 which tends to push outwardly, and is adapted when the plunger is pressed downwardly, to pass tluough a clearance slot 34 in members 10 `and 12 and then to snap outwardly through an appropriate aperture 36 in the housing and thereby hold the plunger and its key in projected position. f

The operation of the device is as follows:

The luser presses downwardly on top of selected plunger 18 `which carries the key he wants to use. This projects the key below the lower end of the housing to the operative position, as shown in Fig. 3, and the plunger and key are latched in such extended position by the latch 32 engaging in aperture 36. The user then inserts the key into the lock and twists or turns the housing which operates the lock, and then withdraws the key. The polygonal non-circular shape of the plungers and their cooperating non-circular apertures 8 and 14 in guide l members 4 and 12, respectively, prevent the plunger from turning. Then the portion 38 of latch 32, which projects out of the housing is pressed inwardly, thereby releasing the latch, whereupon the compression spring 20 retracts the key within the key case.

The plunger could be moved in both directions by a spring as is the case with some ballpoint pens, but the preferred arrangement is as described, wherein the plunger is pushed out manually and retracted by spring 20 upon release of the latch 3K2.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in some detail, it should be understood that it can be carried out 3 Y in other ways as fall within the scope of the claims.

l claim as my invention:

1. A key casecomprising an elongated housing, a pair holding the plunger at one end Vof its path of travel,

and means cooperating with one of said collars and with Vsaid plunger for causing the plunger and the key carried thereby to rotate axially when the key is in projected position clear of the housing and whenthe housing is turned about the axis of said plunger. Y

2. The combination of claim l, wherein the housing is provided with an aperture, said latch means comprised of a manually releasable spring latch adapted to snap outwardly through said aperture in thehousing to hold the plunger in outwardly projected position, Vwith the key clear of said housing, manual release of said latch causing said spring to retract the plunger and key into and within said housing.

3. A key case for holding a plurality of keys, com-v prising an elongated housing, a pair of spaced transversely extending apertured guide means mounted in said v housing intermediate the ends thereof, 'a plurality of plungers, each having a key mounted in one thereof, said plungers being reciprocable through respective pairs of said apertured guide means, the combined length of each key and its associated plunger being such that v means for each plunger, each of said latch means cowhen the key is in projected position it is clear of said housing, and when in retracted position is within said housing, springs respectively engageable with each plunger, positioned between said guide means, said plungers operating means for causing the plungers to rotate axially when the housing and said apertured guide means are rotated to operate la particular key when said key is in projected position clear of said housing.

4. The combination of claim 3, Wherein'the inner edges of the aperturesin said guide means, and the adjacenttfaces of the plungers, are Vnon-circulanfor thereby causing a `plunger .and the key carried .thereby when in projected position to be rotated axially when the housing and the guide means are turned.

' 5. The combination of claim 3, further including latch operating with its plunger for holding its plunger at one end of the path of travel of the plunger when its associated key isv clear of said housing.

6. The combination of claim 3, wherein the housing is provided with a series of apertures, a'manually releasableV spring latch carried by each plunger, co-operating with respective apertures, each said latch adapted to jsnap outwardly through the correspondingaperture to hold its plunger in outwardly projected position, vagainst the tension of the corresponding spring and with its associated key clear of said housing.

References Cited in the le of this patent -HUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,639,919 Baron Aug..23, 1927 `2,575,424 Mitchell Q Nov. 20, 1951 r2,600,749 Gallagher June 17, 1952 and guide means being provided with co- Y Mark et al.. Jan. 18,1955 

